Index Archive

20 February 2015

SC allows Doordarshan to show ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup Matches Earlier the High Court had allowed the plea of Star India Ltd, which holds the exclusive telecast rights of the Cricket World Cup, 2015 and had asked Prasar Bharati not to share the live feed of the matches with private cable operators.

Prasar Bharati had moved the Supreme Court challenging the February 4 Delhi High Court judgment which was passed on the plea of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), ESPN and Star. They had contended that cable operators were getting live feed free through DD channels, resulting in loss of revenue for them.

Now on Friday Supreme Court of India stayed the order of High Court This means now Doordarshan can continue to share live feed of the 2015 Cricket World Cup matches with private cable operators

Now Supreme Court bench said following “the position of 2007, we are maintaining it for a while. We thought there is something to hear. We will not bring about a situation abruptly. This arrangement under which DD shows free feed has been there for the last seven years. Let it continue,”

Supreme Court bench said that its order staying the operation of the high court verdict will continue till it finally decides the petition of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, which runs Door Darshan

It is mandatory for a private channel under the Sports Act and the Cable TV Network Act to share the feeds of matches of “national importance” with Prasar Bharati for providing it on DD's free-to-air terrestrial channels.

Above is the clause which Star Sports and Espn need to challenge in court of law saying that Cricket is not the national game of India thus it does not, it should not come under national importance clause.